Conventional towing hitches are relatively simple devices, often consisting of little more than a rigid framework with coupling structure such as a hitch ball fixed rigidly thereto. The hitch is usually semi-permanently secured to the rear of a towing vehicle and a trailing vehicle is removably attached to the hitch. Generally, the trailing vehicle is attached to the hitch by pivotal joinder of the hitch's coupling structure with corresponding structure on the trailing vehicle. A connection is thus provided by which the trailing vehicle may be towed.
Although such conventional hitch arrangements have proven effective once the towing and trailing vehicles are coupled, most known arrangements present difficulties related to the manner in which such coupling is achieved. Coupling of the towing and trailing vehicles, for example, generally requires precise alignment between the hitch's coupling structure and the corresponding structure of the trailing vehicle, a task which is made increasingly difficult as the size and weight of the vehicles increase. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved towing hitch which accommodates coupling of the towing vehicle with the vehicle which is to be towed.
One way of dealing with alignment problems in the coupling of vehicles has been to provide a hitch with coupling structure which is movable relative to both the towing vehicle and the vehicle which is to be towed. Such hitches, known as wide-range towing hitches, accommodate coupling of the towing and trailing vehicles without requiring precise relative positioning of the vehicles involved. In a wide-range towing hitch, the coupling structure is moved so as to place it in alignment with corresponding structure on the trailing vehicle, requiring only that the vehicles be placed in close proximity to one another. Upon achieving such proximity, the coupling structure is attached to corresponding structure on the trailing vehicle and the trailing vehicle is towed.
Although known wide-range towing hitches have solved various problems related to achieving the initial connection between towing and trailing vehicles, they have presented various other undesirable characteristics. Known hitches, for example, have included complicated alignment mechanism, increasing manufacturing costs and increasing the price paid by the consumer. Such hitches have also been characterized by unwanted "slop" in the hitch, often leading to an unstable coupling joint and to problems such as trailing vehicle surge. Wide-range towing hitches have also exhibited unnecessarily restricted coupling structure movement, a characteristic which is contrary to the hitch's wide-ranging intent. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved, cost-effective, wide-range towing hitch which does not unduly restrict movement of the coupling structure.